Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-09-16
turnkey. Each time the thought of his
party and Dolly's fearful face drove

uuSai W lIo1ly WOnQefment. In
his mind he could see scotty softly
creeping out of his cell, stealing down
the corridor, and finally gaining the
outer door, with bound drop into the
protecting darkness and speed away
over the prairies to the comrades that
were waiting to welcome him,
lie wished that he had not Welded.
After all the reward for his act was not
commensurate with the suffering that
it was costing.
He might have refused to yield, he
reasoned, and mourning defeat, taken
Dolly, gone to new country and won
higher position than even this. AT
any rate, he would have saved his
honor.
With an effort he ceased these re-.
Elections and awaited with bold face
the discovery of Scotty's escape. He
would spend the evening with his wife
and in the morning act his part.
He was on the point of telling Dolly
that he would stay at home that even
ing when there came the sound of men
running. His front door was violently
thrown open and in rushed several citi-
zens, led by his turnkey, the latter CRY.
ing out "Scotty has escaped!
| Without hesitation, Carruth seized
his coat and hat, kissed his frightened
wife and followed his bewilderei
deputy to the Jail.
He soon secured posse from among
the citizens, but by cleverly delaying
thcm under pratense of needing guide,
gave the fugitive quite start.
At last, when the guide who knew
Just the route that Scotty would take
to Jacoville, was secured, and there was
no longer pretense for delay, Carruths
heart sank. He must be in advance,
and as swift as horses could 20, run
down the man to whom he had pledged
freedom. A momentary weakness seized
him and then passed away.
He sprang on to his horse, gave the
forward cry, and following the guide,
who was riding straight for Jacoville,
prepared for action.
All night the party rode, sparing
neither horse nor men. Fields, lonely
farm houses, the fringing underbrush
along small streams, were closely
searched.
There was neither laughing nor talk
ing among them, but silence that be-
tokened the deadly earnestness of their
pursuit.
The jack rabbit fed over the prairie
before them, and the coyote, at dis
lance, howled his protest at their dis
turbance. The long grasses trampled
under the feet of the painting horses,
gave forth q mournful sound, as if in
pain. ...
At midnight they swept by a "shack"
where a man, unknown to the occupant,
but an hour before had begged for
food. They learned that this stranger
was armed.
Further on they found a bewildered
farmer cursing the loss of his gray
mare, that some one had impressed into
his service.
Just before sunrise, when all the
east was gray and the mantle Of the
night hung in dark folds in the west,
they passed the gray mare, dead on the
trail, and by this they knew that their
man could not be far away.
Now that he was near they grew
cautious. Pistols and guns were ex-
amined, saddle-girths frightened, and a
loose rein given to the tired horses.
There was no need of haste now-one
man against twenty could not hold out
long.
Just as the sun, warm from his royal
couch, sent up band of gold to burn
ish the sky, frontiersman came gallop-
ing back to the party, with the an
nouncement that Scotty was asleep in
q granary but mile beyond. Worn
out and not knowing that he was pur-
sued he had stolen into the building
and throwing himself in corner, fallen
to sleep. There the scout, stealthily
searching for trace of him, had sighted
him, but fearing single handed con-
fict had ridden back for help.
Scotty had killed too many men to
make him asleep a less dangerous foe
than he was when he was awake. He
had been known to shoot dead deputy
sheriff, who, thinking him asleep, had
bent over him to put the shackles on.
The verdict of the frontier jury was
that the deputy was fool for not kill
ing Scotty first and then shackling him,
but that is all matter of opinion.
When the word came back that
Scotty was discovered, Carruth turning
to the posse, said:
"You stay here. will arrest him. +"
Not demurring, the men dismounted,
while he rode off to the granary.
Within shooting distance he picketed
his horse, and without taking out his
weapons, walked up to the granary,
entered, and touched the sleeping man
with his foot.
The instant he touched Scotty, the
latter, as if by intuition, with q quick
jerk threw back his hand, and the
Sheriff found himself covered with the
mussle of revolver.
Then said Scotty, as coolly as if he
had known all the time of the pursuit,
"Gitw
Carruth did not move. His face was
very stern and sad as he replied.
"Shoot ahead, Scotty, but if you miss
you are my prisoner. I've come to take
you back"
"You can't do il, Sheriff. You made
your word with me that should get
away and Tn going. Go back or III
shoot.
Carruth shook his head. There was
no going back for him now. Over there
in the glory of the morning his towns
men we're waiting his return. He must